Boot and shoe.



J. JEFFERSON. BOOT AND SHOE.

APPLIUATIOH FILED JUN 30, 1909.

' Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

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M M W N WITNESSES 59,11,120 Jeppmran ATTORNE Y8 J. JEPPBRSON.

' BOOT AND SHOE.

APPLIOATIOH nun JUHB so, 1909.

968,359. Patented Aug. 23, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

w/nvkssss 4 mvmro/a yam ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

JEPPE JEFFERSON, 0F SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

BOOT AND SHOE.

To all whom "it may concern:

Be it known that I, JEPPE JEFFERSON, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Salt Lake City, in the county of Salt Lake and State of Utah, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in boots and shoes, and consists of an improvementupon the invention disclosed in my United States patent application filed May 5, 1908, under Serial No. 403,933.

More particularly, the invention relates to a device for drawing together and holding closed the upper of a boot or shoe from the vamp to the top, consisting in continuous guides arranged at both sides of the opening in the upper, and a tongue having a sliding engagement with the guides and capable of a limited movement longitudinally thereof.

The object of the invention is to provide a fastening device of the character referred to, which can be conveniently brought to a closing position and as readily and rapidly carried to a releasing position, so that the boot or shoe can be unobstructively removed from the foot, and which is simple, durable, effective, and inexpensive to manufacture, as well as attractive in appearance.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of parts to be more fully described hereinafter and particularly set forth in the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views, and in which Figure l is a perspective view of a shoe having an embodiment of my invention applied thereto showing the tongue removed; Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the shoe upon the wearers foot and having the tongue in position; Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a part of the shoe and showing a part of the tongue; Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse section on the line 44 of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is an enlarged longitudinal section of a part of the tongue, showing the means for limiting the move ment thereof; Fig. 6 is an enlarged transverse fragmentary section on the line 66 of Fig. 2; Fig. 7 is an enlarged rear plan View of the tongue; Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan View showing one of the guides and a Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed June 30, 1909.

Patented Aug. 23, 1910. Serial No. 505,189.

part of a tongue member of modified form; and Fig. 9 is a longitudinal section of a detail.

Referring more particularly to the draw ings, the top or upper section A of the boot or shoe is provided with the customary front opening 10 that extends from the vamp B to the top portion of the upper, as is shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 2. At both sides of the opening 10 of the upper are arranged strips 11 of leather or the like, which may be of any suitable form, and for example, have the edges remote from the opening 10 scalloped or otherwise ornamented. Each strip 11 has a longitudinal slot 14. Elongated members 13 are arranged in pairs upon the strips 11, at opposite sides of the slot 14 and projecting over the same. The members 13 are fashioned from suitable flexible metal and have extensions 15 through which retaining rivets pass to secure the members in place. The latter, with the slotted strips 11 constitute guides for a purpose which will appear more clearly hereinafter.

The fastening device employed is in the nature of an external tongue 0 and in the preferred form shown in Figs. 2 and 7 consists of a pair of flexible strips 17, of leather or other suitable material, each of which carries a number of guide clips 18. Each of these guide clips is fashioned from a strip of metal folded or bent to form a lacing eyelet 19, a constricted section 20 which embraces the strip 17 and is clamped thereon, and flange sections 21 formed by the oppositely disposed ends. These flange sections are adapted to engage slidably in the guides underneath the members 18, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 4. The lacing eyelets 19 are for the purpose of having a shoe-lace 22 or the like pass therethrough to render the appearance of the boot more attractive.

At the lower end the tongue has an ornamentally designed metal part 23 riveted or otherwise fastened upon a leather tab 24 which forms the lower end of the tongue. The tab 24 is scalloped or otherwise artistically formed and has the lower end of the flexible strip 17 suitably attached thereto. The metal part 23 has an extension 25 which is bent upon itself to form a loop 26, and underneath the tab 24 a clip 27. The loop 26 serves to receive the lower part of the shoe-lace, and the clip 27 is designed for a purpose to appear more clearly hereinafter.

At its upper end each strip 17 has a clip 28 having flange sections 29 and a sleeve 30 which receives an arm 31 formed by the extremities of an elongated member 32. The latter is secured upon a plate 33 having sleeves for the purpose. The ends of the arms are rearwardly disposed and receive the looped extremities of the strips 17. The plate 33 has at the lower part an extension 36 forming a loop to receive the upper part of the lacing 22. The upper portion of the plate has bearings in which is journaled a keeper 38 consisting of an annular body 39 having hook ends 4:0. The. latter are adapted to engage staples 41 or similar devices positioned at the top portion of the upper, at each side of the openlng 10. The extremities 40 of the keeper are adapted to engage within the staples 4.1 when the angular body of the keeper is in position against the plate 33, as is shown most clearly in Fig. 2. To release the keeper it is merely necessary to swing the body upward to bring the hooks out of engagement with the staples. The tongue which I employ in this form of my invention is partly flexible and partly stiff, the lower portion being the stiffened part and having for this purpose stiff, though flexible metal strips 42 arranged under the lower portions of the flexible strips 17, the guide clips 18 overlying the metal strips 42. The guide cllps 18 each have one extremity 21 constituting a rivet, and arranged in an opening of a strip 42 to hold the latter in place. The other extremity of each clip forms part of the holding section 20". These clips likewise have lacing eyelets 19 to receive the lace It will be understood that the strips 4.2 are arranged to move slidably in the guides as also the flange sections 21 of the clips 18. A movement-limiting member or strip 43 is secured within the clip 27 and is positioned between the strips &2. At the upper end it has rigidly fastened thereon a stop n, which moves slidably within a loop bracket secured to the vamp B adjacent to the opening 10 of the upper. It will be understood that the tongue thus has a limited movement, the upper and lower limits of the movement being determined by the ends of the strip 43.

hen the device is fastened, the entire length of the tongue is in engagement with the guides and the parts of the upper are thus secured firmly together. To remove the shoe it is merely necessary to release the keeper and to draw the tongue downward as far as the movement-limiting member permits. This brings the comparatively stiff part of the tongue out of engagement with the guides, leaving merely the flexible part therein. Owing to the use of a lace the upper portions of the strip 17 can move apart, permitting the opening to widen sufflciently so that the foot can be withdrawn from the shoe.

.111 Fig. 8 is shown a modified form of the tongue which consists of flexible strips each comprising a number of plate members 46 adapted to slide within the guides and having sleeves M. The sleeves of adjacent plates are connected by chains d8 which may be of any suitable form and may have, as shown for example herewith, links of square type. Each plate 46 has secured thereto a laterally disposed eyelet 19 fashioned from wire or the like, and constituting a loop to receive the lace.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent 1. The combination, with a boot or shoe having an opening in the upper, and guides adjacent to said opening, of a tongue arranged to slide with respect to said guides, said tongue consisting of spaced, flexible strips, guide clips secured to said strips and each having a part slidably engaging one of said guides and a part forming an eyelet, a lacing passing through said eyelets to secure said strips flexibly together, comparatively stifl strips associated with said first strips and extending part way along the lengths thereof, and a comparatively stiff, flexible member secured between said first strips and constituting a stop to limit the movement of said tongue, the boot or shoe having a bracket slidably receiving said stop member.

2. The combination, with a boot or shoe having an opening in the upper, and guides adjacent to said opening, of a tongue arranged to slide with respect to said guides, said tongue consisting of spaced strips, guide clips secured to said strips and each having a part slidably engaging one of said guides and a part forming an eyelet, a lacing passing through said eyelets to secure said strips flexibly together, stiffening strips arranged longitudinally of said first strips and extending part way along the lengths thereof, said stiffening strips being arranged to slide in said guides, and further clips secured to said first strips and having parts secured to said stiffening strips, and parts forming eyelets to receive said laces.

8. The combination, with a boot or shoe having guides, of a tongue arranged to slide with respect to said guides, and consisting of spaced strips, and a lacing flexibly connecting said strips, each of said strips at the upper end having a clip presenting a sleeve, and an elongated member having parts pivotally mounted in said sleeves of said clips, said elongated member having associated therewith a keeper to which said lacing is secured.

4. The combination, with a boot or shoe having an opening in the upper thereof, and

guides adjacent to said opening, of a tongue arranged to slide with respect to said guides and consisting of strips, members secured to said strips and each having a part slidably engaging one of said guides, and a part forming an eyelet, a lacing passing through said eyelets to secure said strips flexibly together, clips secured at the upper ends of said strips and provided with parts slidably engaging said guides, and parts forming sleeves, and a keeper having an eyelet adapted to have said lacing secured thereto, and having associated therewith an elongated, laterally extended member, said elongated member having parts mounted in said sleeves of said clips, and having the ends inwardly disposed, said strips being formed into loops at said clips, adapted to engage said ends of said elongated member.

5. The combination, with a boot or shoe having an opening in the upper thereof, and guides adjacent to said opening, of a tongue arranged to slide with respect to said guides and consisting of strips, members secured to said strips and each having a part slidably engaging one of said guides, and a part forming an eyelet, a lacing passing through eyelets to secure said strips flexibly together, clips secured at the upper ends of said strips and provided with parts slidably engaging said guides, and parts forming sleeves, a keeper having an eyelet adapted to have said lacing secured thereto, and having associated therewith an elongated, laterally extended member, said elongated member having parts mounted in said sleeves of said clips, and having the ends inwardly disposed, said strips being formed into loops at said clips, adapted to engage said ends of said elongated member, stifiening members associated with said strips, and means for limiting the movement of said tongue.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

J EPPE J EPPERSON.

Witnesses:

EMIL S. LUND, T. MORTISON. 

